Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition)

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Product Description
The Star Wars saga is now complete on DVD with Episode III REVENGE OF THE SITH. Torn between loyalty to his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi and the seductive powers of the Sith Anakin Skywalker ultimately turns his back on the Jedi thus completing his journey to the dark side and his transformation into Darth Vader. Experience the breathtaking scope of the final chapter in spectacular clarity and relive all the epic battles including the final climactic lightsaber duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan.System Requirements:Starring: Ewan McGregor Natalie Portman Hayden Christensen Ian McDiarmid Samuel L. Jackson Christopher Lee Directed By: George Lucas Running Time: 140 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 024543203094 Manufacturer No: 2230309

Amazon.com
Ending the most popular film epic in history, Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith is an exciting, uneven, but ultimately satisfying journey. Picking up the action from Episode II, Attack of the Clones as well as the animated Clone Wars series, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), pursue General Grievous into space after the droid kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).

The Star Wars Family Tree (click for larger image)

It's just the latest maneuver in the ongoing Clone Wars between the Republic and the Separatist forces led by former Jedi turned Sith Lord Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). On another front, Master Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) leads the Republic's clone troops against a droid attack on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. All this is in the first half of Episode III, which feels a lot like Episodes I and II. That means spectacular scenery, dazzling dogfights in space, a new fearsome villain (the CGI-created Grievous can't match up to either Darth Maul or the original Darth Vader, though), lightsaber duels, groan-worthy romantic dialogue, goofy humor (but at least it's left to the droids instead of Jar-Jar Binks), and hordes of faceless clone troopers fighting hordes of faceless battle droids.

But then it all changes.

Star Wars Time Line (click for larger image)

After setting up characters and situations for the first two and a half movies, Episode III finally comes to life. The Sith Lord in hiding unleashes his long-simmering plot to take over the Republic, and an integral part of that plan is to turn Anakin away from the Jedi and toward the Dark Side of the Force. Unless you've been living under a rock the last 10 years, you know that Anakin will transform into the dreaded Darth Vader and face an ultimate showdown with his mentor, but that doesn't matter. In fact, a great part of the fun is knowing where things will wind up but finding out how they'll get there. The end of this prequel trilogy also should inspire fans to want to see the original movies again, but this time not out of frustration at the new ones. Rather, because Episode III is a beginning as well as an end, it will trigger fond memories as it ties up threads to the originals in tidy little ways. But best of all, it seems like for the first time we actually care about what happens and who it happens to.

Episode III is easily the best of the new trilogy--OK, so that's not saying much, but it might even jockey for third place among the six Star Wars films. It's also the first one to be rated PG-13 for the intense battles and darker plot. It was probably impossible to live up to the decades' worth of pent-up hype George Lucas faced for the Star Wars prequel trilogy (and he tried to lower it with the first two movies), but Episode III makes us once again glad to be "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." --David Horiuchi

The Complete Star Wars Saga

Episodes 4-6 Trilogy (widescreen)	Episode I: The Phantom Menace	Episde II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 1	Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 2	The Star Wars Store

Stills from Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (click for larger images)

Anakin turning to the dark side	When Wookiees attack
Yoda, Jedi master	Mr. and Mrs. Vader
Saber training with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen	The cast

Customer Reviews: Read 1535 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

The Face of Evil Emerges in Dark Sci-Fi Tale... May 21, 2005
591 out of 921 found this review helpful

George Lucas created a world "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...", which was released in 1977. Initially, this venture was called Star Wars, which later became known as Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Millions of viewers were amazed by this tale where good fought against evil. Together with strange aliens and powerful characters both good and evil were all united under one power, the Force. Lucas creatively invented a whole galaxy with its own mythology, history, economics, and politics. The success was given, as Lucas and other filmmakers released the sequel Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back three years later, as the adventures of the Luke Skywalker came to a conclusion in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983).

Years later, Lucas decided to tell the tale of Darth Vader's origin and how the war between good and evil came about in the galaxy far, far away. The first film in this prequel trilogy is Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), which builds the background of how Obi-Wan Kenobi and the child Anakin Skywalker unite amidst the fight against evil. The second part came as Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), which introduces Anakin to love, and eventually passion. Passion is a crucial element in the mythology of Force, as it could lead people astray into the Dark Side, organized under Sith. To better understand the Sith, one should know the Sith Code by which the Dark Side abides by, which states:

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion I gain strength.
Through strength I gain power.
Through power I gain victory.
Through victory my chains are broken.
The Force shall set me free."

In Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith the audience is thrown into the film, and if the audience lacks the information from the two previous film from 1999 and 2002 it might be a little hard to follow. Nonetheless, after the crawling customary launch text that explains the beginning, the film brings the viewers to the opening scene. This scene displays a peaceful light of a star radiating over an impressive spaceship. Soon after this hopeful, yet misleading scene two tiny one-manned spacecrafts with Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) fly around the ship to dive into an amazing space battle. This battle must be one of the most detailed and largest space wars in cinema history, as the audience can see space crafts and droids, i.e., robots, shooting lasers and using other innovative weapons while trying to exterminate each other as far as the eye can reach.

Obi-wan and Anakin's mission during this immense battle is to find and stop Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) and his friends-at-arms, the monstrous droid leader, General Grievious, who has kidnapped the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) from the Republic Senate. Their task to find and free the Chancellor turns into a flashy and humming light saber spectacle, as the two Jedi easily overpower the feeble droids. However, General Grievious evades while Count Dooku puts up a tough battle of the Force before facing a different destiny. This light saber battle ends with the beginning of what all devoted Star Wars fans know: Anakin's turn to the Dark Side as he later will become Darth Vader, who the audience has seen in the three films that were made in the 70s and the 80s.

After the battle, which ends victorious, the story moves into a debriefing mode that informs about a number of subplots. This part suffers from too many quick jumps, which could have been saved with an additional five minutes, but the film regains it strength after this and does not look back. The debriefing brings some of what happened in the previous film, Attack of the Clones, where Anakin fell in love with Padme (Natalie Portman) and now their love for each other continues to grow. To complicate things Padme is pregnant, and Jedi are not allowed to form eternal bonds, as it could cloud the judgment of a Jedi. To further explain this notion there is a Jedi Code, which is not mentioned directly in the film but it states:

"There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no death; there is the Force."

Yet, Anakin defies the Jedi Council and the laws of a Jedi by following his emotions. Other side plots exist such as the Chancellor's interest in Anakin, which overtly could help the audience deduce the true identity of the Chancellor, and the Jedi Council's caution to allow Anakin to become a Master Jedi due to his passionate ambition. All of this is set on a known course, as the previous five films indulge the viewer about what will happen. For example, Darth Vader in the films from the 80s was heavily scarred and he was Luke's father, as he said "I am your father" in The Empire Strikes Back. In the end, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith ties up all of the loose ends in a neat manner in order to continue to the original film from 1977.

Most of the film shows much better cinematography than Episode I and Episode II, in fact some parts are brilliant. For example, the opening sequence with the star shining on the spaceship, as previously mentioned, displays the strength in the camerawork, even though it is composed of computer generated images. There are also several other scenes where the camerawork is exceptional, and this truly elevates the cinematic experience. The special effects also help, as the film is packed with cool CGI and fun stunts. One should not forget to mention the cast, which is excellent in this film. The cold presence of Anakin is well performed by Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor provides a look that resembles the original Obi-wan Kenobi, Alec Guinness. Also, Ian McDiarmid provides a stellar performance as the deceptive Chancellor where he presents an excellent ambiguous character. All facets of the making of this film conclude with a cinematic experience that competes with the fifth episode, The Empire Strikes Back.

Ultimately, Lucas takes the audience on a thrilling adventure, even though the end will not reveal any great surprises, as he finally brings Star Wars in a full circle. Besides being a science fiction adventure Lucas also offers several interesting notions to ponder. One of these ideas that he considered is the complexity of the human psyche. In this process Lucas provides an interesting and easily understood thesis that suggests one of the possible origins of evil. Lucas even gives it a face through Anakin who eventually will turn into one of the centuries most iconic faces for evil - Darth Vader.

4 out of 5 stars

Much better than the previous two! June 21, 2005
260 out of 405 found this review helpful

Finally, after two films blatantly dedicated to special effects and marketing, George Lucas has re-discovered story in his Star Wars epic. "The Revenge of the Sith" returns to the battle between good and evil, this time in the person of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) who will tip the balance of the universe to the dark side. The film begins with Obi-wan and Anakin's daring rescue of the kidnapped Chancellor and showdown with Count Dooku, an event that shapes Anakin's destiny. Back home, Anakin is plagued by dreams of his beloved Padme (Natalie Portman) dying in childbirth, and he is driven by his fear of loss and growing sense of his own power. As the Senate moves away from democracy and loyal Anakin is offended by criticism of these legal acts, the stage is set for the good-hearted but immature Jedi to be recruited by the one who most covets his power, the eventual Emperor, now Chancellor of the Senate.

Hayden Christensen is surprisingly convincing and even compelling in his transformation from young Jedi to Sith Lord. The burning desperation in his eyes becomes intense anger and evil in ways I never expected from an actor who is much less believable in expressing love. (His chemistry with Natalie Portman is much better in this one than in the last.) Ewan McGregor performs his Obi-wan persona with confidence, making it wholly believable that he will become the wise, calm mentor of Luke Skywalker. Obi-wan's affection for Anakin lends a poignant context to the original trilogy. Natalie Portman is given much less to do in this episode; her presence is more expected than noteworthy, although her realization of what her husband has become is one of the most powerful in the film.

The fight scenes are tightly edited. The special effects are mostly first-rate and necessary (save for a show-off pursuit on a lizard), and best of all, Jar Jar barely makes an appearance. Gone are all the esoteric political alliances and laws that clouded the last two. Lucas simply tells his story, and as all fans of the original know, it is a good one. The only thing missing from this episode is the endearing camaraderie and humor of the original "Star Wars."

"Revenge of the Sith" is surprisingly satisfying. Recommended for all, young and old, who have seen the others.

3 out of 5 stars

Entertaining and frustrating at the same time May 28, 2005
61 out of 138 found this review helpful

I was 9 when Star Wars came out and it truly changed my life. It would be interesting to have a count of how many hours of my life have been spent on sidewalks in block-busting lines awaiting the next show of Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. A lot.

Even at 15, Return of the Jedi was a disappointment. Boba Fett's end, the dialogue, the Ewoks, that song at the end--how could it all have gone so wrong? Of course, all was forgiven after The Phantom Menace. Yet each time I've watched that film I've tried to give Lucas the benefit of the doubt and enjoy it for what it is. And I've tried to sit through the wandering plot lines and loose ends of Episodes I and II with patience, allowing for Lucas to pay it all off with Episode III.

So here we are. After 28 years, Episode III arrives and I, at 36, need to check in as one disappointed Star Wars fan.

SPOILERS FOLLOW:

Here's what we now know, having seen Episode III-
1. There was never any reason for "midi-chlorians." Ever.
2. There was never any reason to get to know Qui-Gonn Jinn. Just a Jedi to die at the end of Menace.
3. There was never any reason for the Gungans, or more unfortunately, for Jar Jar Binks. He is virtually nonexistent in II and III.
4. There's no reason Obi-Wan didn't immediately recognize, and expect, Artoo's arrival on Tatooine.
5. There's no reason Vader didn't recognize C3PO and Artoo on sight.
6. There's no reason Leia's dialogue in Return of the Jedi would have any relevance to Luke regarding their mother. Leia never knew Padme, and when she spoke of her mother she could only know Bail Organa's wife. She never knew she was adopted, believing herself to be the daughter of the Organas.

In this film alone there is no reason for Yoda to travel to Kashyyk and encounter Chewbacca other than to drop Chewbacca into the film, and at that he's given precious little to do. He's utterly wasted, which makes his appearance more "bitter" than "sweet."

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Lucas gives us Darth Vader killing Luke and Leia's mother. With a simple line of dialogue that makes no sense he tries to absolve Vader while she's giving birth, but it's ludicrous and it really twists the mythology. In general, are we all cool with the Lucas idea that mass-murderers deserve forgiveness if they embrace their goodness before dying? Probably too philosophical...

The battle scenes are fun and the light saber fights are certainly highlights. There's way too much digital junk in every frame, in the sense that all the trickery looks cartoonish at best and distracts from the story (what there is of it) at worst.

The pacing is exciting and if anything it redeems the utterly boring pace of the first two.

But does it redeem the series? Absolutely not. It may sound like an odd comparison, but let me compare it to the "Back to the Future" trilogy. The first was a standalone film that could have tanked and wouldn't have earned sequels (so it's mostly self-contained and aside from the coda at the end doesn't really need a sequel). But the parts 2 and 3 are so fulfilling to the story and have so many neat references to each other, it's as if they form one wonderful, unified whole. I suppose the same is true of the "Lord of the Rings" but since they're based on well thought out books it's no surprise they're seamless.

At the end of the day the Star Wars series, which can at last be judged as a whole complete tale, is one disjointed mess. Loose ends abound, continuity is ignored, even the looks of the ships goes from complex to simple and looks like technology in reverse. Too bad Lucas didn't trust the audience enough to try to make the earlier technology look like it actually preceded the technology in IV - VI (the same fatal error made by the producers of Star Trek: Enterprise).

Look, we're all glad this is a better movie than the awful first two. But does anyone else feel totally ripped off that at the end of the day we've endured all these years and all these films to get only one brief shot of Darth Vader -- the REAL Darth Vader -- looking out a window? Am I the only Star Wars fan who walked out of the theater shaking his head and saying "Disappointed, I am, and misguided these prequels were."??

3 out of 5 stars

Like the prequels or hate them, this is it. September 26, 2004
55 out of 114 found this review helpful

It seems to me that most people who watch Star Wars are cynical hypocrits who don't understand the concept of good storytelling. Of course, I'm able to look at both trilogies subjectively, since I didn't get into the series until 1995, when Lucasfilm released the original trilogy to VHS for the last time. The first time I saw them in a theater was when A New Hope was reissued in 1997, and they added the Jabba sequence. I guess when you're old enough to remember what it was like to stand in line for three hours in 1977, witnessing crazed fans dressed as droids and Storm Troopers, it's a completely different experience. So to a degree, I can understand what all the fuss is about. People want to remember the films as simple movies about good vs. evil, Luke Skywalker duking it out with Darth Vader. People have been waiting for the next three films ever since Lucas wrapped with Return of the Jedi. He announced for years that the ideas he would introduce within the prequels would be farfetched, and far more bizarre, than anything ever seen in a Star Wars movie. The sets and locations would be more sophisticated, characters would be more articulate, and the story more complex. This was evident when you think about what a prequel is supposed to do. People fled to theaters, slammed down eight bucks to see the Episode I trailer, and walked out without seeing the feature they paid for. Then they get bent out of shape because the movie wasn't a life-changing experience. If the prequels were so horrible, how can anyone explain why they're the top-grossing science fiction films of all time? Because Padme wore skimpy clothes? Because chicks dig Anakin's groovy little pig-tail? They're good movies that get criticized for not appealing to 30-year-old war veterans who have Star Wars-themed weddings. I don't care what generation you people grew up in, but Star Wars didn't change the face of a nation. It just happened to come out when most other films were abysmally depressing, and enlightened a nation. Now, every movie that comes out outdoes the last. Nothing impresses anyone anymore. Regardless of what Lucas claims, Phantom was not the first movie to utilize digital technology: it was only the first to go as far as it did, and Attack of the Clones built upon that. The people who don't like the prequels forget that when Star Wars came out, you weren't popular for enjoying it. You could like it, but you weren't cool. It was never a movie designed for an overly mature audience. The originals are just more story-driven because, let's face it, Lucas didn't have the tools to create anything more epic. No one would see these movies if they depended on stop-motion and computer-controlled cameras today. So they have to resort to the modern techniques of creating everything digitally, because that's what audiences buy into. And sure, Jar-Jar is not a believable character, he doesn't need to be in Star Wars. But Yoda is a sure leap. These are just examples of how digital technology can be misused, and how advantageous it can be to the storyteller once you use it for the right purpose.

Now, I gave the review three stars because obviously the movie isn't out yet. I enjoy the existing movies all the same. They each stand for something different in the story. When The Phantom Menace came out, it surpassed all of my expectations, and the only thing that I asked was that it still look like a Star Wars movie. I knew that Darth Vader wouldn't be a central character, because the movies have to let him get to that point. While the story was more complex and more political than the previous films, it wasn't like that was all there was to it. It did have a point. If you have to ask what reason did the Podrace serve in the story, than you weren't paying attention, and Darth Vader wouldn't have become a cultural icon...he'd be dusting tables at a cantina somewhere, probably getting his arm lopped off by Ben Kenobi as a result of being turned into a punk-ass little kid because of Watto's harsh treatment. When I walked out of that theater, the only things I didn't like was that a lot of it seemed like a Pixar animated film. But I recall seeing Star Wars on the Disney channel years ago, on the roster with The Purple People Eater and The Neverending Story. All these movies are just advanced Disney films with a plot that appeals to mostly everyone.

Attack of the Clones was a slightly different story. The four trailers they had out really hyped the movie for me, and I expected it to parallel the artistic nature of The Empire Strikes Back. That was the first time I walked out of a Star Wars movie disappointed. I liked the story better than Phantom, but at the same time, it was the first Star Wars movie to break out of character. It had too much scope to it, and because Lucas was telling so much in the second chapter, it was condensed. There were five planets, and a lot goes on before the movie jumps to a different location. If anything, it was very episodic. The climax, of course, was breathtaking, and the cliffhanger was troubling, especially the scene where Palpatine looks over the clone army, as the newly-built Star Destroyers are leaving for orbit. It was a movie that I liked more and more over time, and even today, regardless of its shortcomings, stands out as a really good epic fantasy movie. I almost cried when Anakin broke down after he killed the Tuskens. It was a foreshadow of what he's capable of doing in Revenge of the Sith. It's a truly chilling moment that I thought Hayden pulled off successfully.

You have to be careful about what you read over the internet, because the plots that are out there (yes, even on supershadow.com), are rarely true to the actual movies. What I read seemed plausible, but the tone didn't seem too different from that of Clones. If it is at all accurate, there are several lightsaber fights: Anakin vs. Count Dooku, Obi-Wan vs. General Grievous, Anakin vs. Mace Windu, and of course, the end-all battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin that will have fans roaring.

Truly, everyone criticizes the prequels for being heartless, but I don't think it's the fault of the filmmaker. George Lucas has always been an experimental filmmaker, and never meant to make a worldwide success like Star Wars. That's why I have problems sitting through THX 1138 and American Graffiti, both films that I can't identify with. No, I think it's about what the audience takes from it. Eventually, there will be six movies, and I think once people start looking at the complete six-movie epic, they will witness something even more spectacular. It will be the culmination of nearly thirty years of hard work, but what Lucas created, regardless of generation, is a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience that I don't see being duplicated again. The whole series is definitely worth analysing again and again, but aside from the flaws, which every movie has, it's a huge, sprawling story, covering just about every genre you can think of, told over six movies that made a hell of a lot of money. And to answer my question from before, no, it wasn't because of Anakin's gimpy pig-tail.

1 out of 5 stars

A Lost Potential July 2, 2006
50 out of 80 found this review helpful

George Lucas is a pioneer in movie making and he advanced the technology of movies by two decades. Give him respect for having the vision, money, and determination to see Star Wars become the enterprise it has become. However, Mr. Lucas forgot about one element that makes a movie become a classic...a good script. Great storytelling is STILL an important ingredient for a great movie. In the "A New Hope", "The Empire Strikes Back and to a lesser degree, "The Return of the Jedi" was able to connect with the audience because of the creative aspect Lucas dealt with good versus evil, father versus son, future versus past, and finally redemption. It seems with the new movies, Lucas is more focus on technology and not with the characters development and definitely not the script. Lucas should have hired someone else to write the screenplay because it is clear he has lost touch. The lines in this movie are so corny and cheesy, I felt embarrassed for the actors. I also saw that some of the actors (their face expressions was a dead giveaway) did not like the lines either, particularly Natalie Portman.

The direction was also mediocre because it seems like a rush job. I really wanted to see the emotional breakdown, the rawness, the coldness and the realness of Anakin, as he becomes Darth Vader. You do not get that...one moment you see Anakin as a spoiled, conceited boyish Jedi and the next moment you see him as Vader. Dang it, I wanted to see a clearer process of why Anakin became Vader. I want to see Anakin-THE MAN as he slips into one of the scariest, darkest villain the screen has ever produced. Lucas did such a POOR job in the development of Anakin/Vader, that it is appalling he screwed it up this badly. I still do not understand how Anakin could be so weak and be so strong as Vader...it makes no sense.

Many people have blamed the actors for their lame acting, but I don't. I blame Lucas for writing such a bad script and for not pulling what he needed out of his actors. Who can blame the actors for not being motivated when the script is so bad? For example, Hayden is a good actor, but he is young. He needed an experienced director to guide him in the role of Anakin/Vader, but Lucas failed him. Lucas was more concerned with the technology part of the movie and you can tell he spent most of time in that area. The special effects mean nothing without good storytelling and great character development. In fact, the movie comes across more as a video game.

Lucas should have hired Steven Spielberg for the direction and someone else for screenplay, instead of him doing it by himself. After Peter Jackson's LOTR, the world knows it is possible to be a technology-friendly director and still tell a good story. However, Lucas has been coasting on his Star Wars fame for far too long, that he no longer has the magic touch or even cares. It is a shame really, because these movies are his legacy...his only legacy unless you count American Graffiti. Episodes I, II, and III are at most uneven, but now it is over for him. Lucas can now go back to tweaking, re-releasing, and re-packaging his glorious past (Star Wars) and ponder why he screwed up the Prequels.

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